Barbecue Secrets

Recipe of the week - Ravenswood Ribs

Zinfandel is one of the best wines you can drink with grilled or
barbecued food and California winemaker Ravenswood makes some of
the tastiest, most popular zins around. Ravenswood’s Executive
Chef, Eric Lee, was kind enough to share this rib recipe. This
versatile rub/mop combination also works well with other cuts of
pork, as well as beef and lamb.

Note: I’ve used my Real Barbecued Ribs technique for this
recipe, but you can also do them
Cheater Ribs style.

For the ribs:

2 racks of back ribs, trimmed by your
butcher

1 medium onion, peeled and halved

1 tsp | 5 mL peppercorns

3 or 4 whole cloves

a couple of chunks of apple wood

For the rub:

1½ tsp | 12.5 mL dried
oregano

1½ tsp | 12.5 mL dried thyme

¾ tsp | 4 mL fennel seed, toasted and
ground

½ tsp | 2 mL cumin seed, toasted and
ground

½ tsp | 2 mL mustard seed, toasted and
ground

1½ tsp | 12.5 mL onion
powder

2¼ tsp | 11 mL garlic powder

1/8 tsp | 0.5
mL
ground ginger

¾ tsp | 4 mL ground black pepper

1 Tbsp | 15 mL kosher salt

1½ tsp | 12.5 mL
paprika

¾ tsp | 4 mL chili powder

1/4 tsp | 1 mL
cayenne

¼ tsp | 1 mL sugar

For the “mop”:

1/2 bottle | 375 mL Ravenswood Zinfandel
wine

1 cup | 250 mL sparking apple
cider

1 Tbsp | 15 mL molasses

1/8 cup | 30 mL olive
oil

1/4 tsp | 1 mL ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp | 1 mL ground cloves

1/8 tsp | 0.5 mL ground cinnamon

1/2 Tbsp | 7.5 mL garlic powder

11/2 Tbsp | 22.5 mL kosher salt

1 bay leaf

1/8 cup | 30 mL dark Karo syrup

Combine the rub ingredients in a medium bowl
and mix them together thoroughly. Set the rub aside.

Combine the mop ingredients in a medium
saucepan and simmer them for 15 minutes on medium low heat,
uncovered.

Remove the membrane from the ribs if your
butcher hasn’t already done it for you.

Prepare your smoker for barbecuing, bringing
the temperature up to 200–220˚F | 95–100˚C.

Generously coat the ribs on both sides with the rub. Let the ribs
sit for at least 15 minutes, or until the rub starts to draw
moisture out of the meat and looks shiny.

Place the ribs on the cooking grate, or place them on a rib rack.
Place a chunk of apple wood on the coals. Cook them for 5 or 6
hours, depending on the size of the ribs, mopping them about every
half hour and adding another chunk of apple wood about an hour
before the ribs are done.

Half an hour before the end of the cooking
time, test the ribs for doneness. If they pass the pull test (the
ribs pull away from one another easily but they’re not falling off
the bone) give them one more coat of sauce, wrap them in foil, and
return them to the cooker for another half hour or so.

Remove them from the cooker and let the wrapped ribs rest for 20–45
minutes. Unwrap them, cut them into single ribs, and serve them
with your favorite accompaniments, including, of course, some
Ravenswood Zinfandel!